CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / AUG. 2016
Primary election voters at District 35 Precinct 3 cast their ballots at the Waipahu Intermediate School polling station on Saturday.
Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
The official general election registration “deadline” for this year is Oct. 10, despite falling on the Columbus Day federal holiday. For people who opt to mail in their voter registration forms, the Office of Elections said forms must be postmarked no later than Saturday.
Hawaii voters can also register to vote online with the Office of Elections up until 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 10.
“There will still be an opportunity for folks to register” even after Oct. 10, said Nedielyn Bueno, head of the state Office of Elections Voter Services Section. Would-be voters who miss that Oct. 10 deadline will still be able to register at early walk-in voting locations statewide, including Honolulu Hale, during a new “late registration” period from Oct. 25 through Nov. 5, she said.
Starting in 2018 the state will switch to “same-day registration” to allow people to go to the polls and register on Election Day, Bueno said.
The Oct. 10 deadline in some states raised concerns last week.
U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Patrick Leahy of Vermont asked the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to intervene, citing concerns with potentially thousands of voters being disenfranchised in several states, including Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah and Washington. Officials in at least three states said they would honor or had recommended honoring applications postmarked Oct. 11.